The Irish standard., 1887-04-30
NOTORIOUS APACheS.

NOTORIOUS APAChES.
How Geronimo, Natchez and Ntangus Spend
Their Days at Fort Pickens.
I Fort Pickens, Florida, situated at the ex-
| creme end of Santa Rosa Island, and op-
posite to Fort Barrancas on the mainland,
! commands the entrance to the Bay OF Pen
/ sacola-the best harbor of the United
States on the Gulf OF Mexico and the seat
of a rapidly growing commerce, writes a
correspondent Of the New York Tribune.
| Geronimo and fourteen compatriots ar
rived at Fort Pickens on the 18th of Octo-
Der, 1885, and were followed in the course
of few days by the two chiefs Mangus
| and Natchez. Their women and children
| had previously been forwarded to Fort
| Marion, st. Augustine where they are
now confined The seventeen Indians are
held under close military guard, consisting
| of fifteen enlisted men belonging to the
| Second U. S. Artillery, and under the i'm
mediate command Of Lieutenant Charles
! f. Parker. Under other circumstances
| this insignificant force might be al
together too small. On his native
heath the sullen and desperate Apache
would scarcely hesitate before attempting
| to overpower aud Stay his jailers. Here
water which inspire a supers titious dread
which he has not yet been able to over
come. For long time he declined to
venture his precious body anywhere near
the beach. Whether he be able to swim or
not, there is but slight probability Of any
natatory effort to escape. In addition to
the imaginary terrors Of the waves there
are sundry real ones in the shape of man
eating sharks, to which the toughest
aborigine would be delicious morseI, and
that are fearfully prompt in swapping al
opportunity
With two exceptions all the captives are
under size. The epiderns is dark brown
almost black in some; the hair long,
black, perfectly straight, and fantas tlcally
! boundby knots and handkerchief about the
head; eyes small, keen and black as jet;
face broad and features sharp; hands and
De We're, and body thin and 1.-the as that of
| the mountain lion; facial expression
sinister, furtiye and cunning-as becomes
their past environment Months OF con-
tact with civilization have developed
latent possibilities, of which their reason
ably neat and clean appearance is an index.
Three Of the seventeen merit, or demerit,
special notice. These are Geronimo,
Natchez and Mangus. The former is not.
rs is popularity supposed, the hereditary
chief Of his tribe Like Sitting Bull, he is
q medicine man, and like him a chief by
selection. Head and brain Of his clans
mon, his influence over them is unbouEded.
Short and stout of figure, with large square
head, high s!anting forehead, hooked nose,
piercing restless eyes, Ethiopian skin and
hand OF feminine size and softness. he
exhibits some amiable weaknesses. hardly
in keeping with his reputed fondness for
cher" Rarely does a visitant escape from
his proximity without repeated hand-shall-
ing, that may OF may not imply an invita-
ton to cali again. How Old he is he doesn't
know, but he does know that thirty-two
years have passed away since he married
his first VIE. 1t this event occurred at
the age Of eighteen, when Apache braves
generally marry, he must now be about
fifty. Geronimo is IL much-nlarried man,
having gone through the nuptial ceremony
no less than five times. Two Of his wives
are now prisoners at st. Augustine. The
Hope Of seeing them again is a powerful
incentive to subordination and prompt
obedience, He and companions ought to
be devoted husbands and parents if con-
duct be in concord with the tender COM
positions regularly transmitted from Fort
.Ficllens to Fort Marion.
Natchez, the true hereditary Chief is a
fine speciman Of Indian manhood, over six
feet high, erect, we'll proportioned, grave
and dignifed under his weight of thirty
years. The rest OF the band treat him with
pronounced respect. His words are few,
and his dislike OF that fierce light which
beats upon royalty Of all grades most en-
phatic.
Mangus is an intractable savage. His
arm is still in bandages from the effects Of
injury received while on his way to Pensa-
cola, When nearing that city, at the rate
of forty miles an hour, Mangus suddenly
sprang through the Car window and was
stunned by sudden collision with the
ground. Regaining consciousness stimuli
irons until the final destination was
reached Then, to his great JOY, the hand
cuffs were removed.
Two dingy old easements in the interior
Of the fort, each containing a large open
Fireplace, furnish comfortable accommo-
dations to these comfortable nomads.
Here provisions, consisting Of the regular
army rations, are prepared by an Indian |
cook assigned to that duty. Salt pork is |
infinitely less to their taste than fresh |
beef, and is cooked by frying, after first |
soaking and boiling out all the brine. |
Fresh fish, which Pensacola bay supplies |
in choicest variety, is still less relished,
but is slowly coming into use. Clad in SOL |
dicrs' fatigue suits. the prisoners are much |
more prssent;tuie than when attired in in
cligcslous costume. Several have found or
been presented with old broad brimmed |
hats. But high-topped shoes constitute
their especial vanity Mangus evidently |
prefers his to the timehonored moccasil,
and blacks them about four times a day.
Glad to be beyond the reach OF Arizona
justice, every member OF the band is quiet,
Submissive, tractable and industrious. |
Shovel, rake, saw and axe have already
become familiar tools. The wheelharrow
proved to be as intractable, at first, in the
hands of Geronimo, as a buclzng broncho
III those of q metropolitan dude; but he is
said to have achieved complete triumph |
over the singular implement. The dex-
ferrous grace with which he swings the
sounding axe is not exceeded by that
with which he was wont to fling the TOM
ahawls. w ork as yet is simply amusc-
ment No more fantas tic toilers than these